Slide fastener for straps and the like



April 24, 1934. G JOHNSQN 1,956,032

SLIDE FASTENER FOR STRAPS AND THE LIKE Filed OO'C. 5, 1952 f i ,sxsl sus, wnlmullnmaffl- VII lllllllllllllllll Patented Apr. 24, 1934 1,956,032 y SLBE FASTENER FOR STRAPS AND THE LIKE Gustav Johansen, West Roxbury, Mass., assigner to United-Carr Fastener Cerporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 3,

s Claims.

My invention aims to provide improvements in'slide fasteners for straps and the like.

In the drawing, which illustrates preferred embodiments oi my invention:-

Figure 1 is a plan View of a fastener installation showing a use of my improved fastener;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 3 3 or Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the slide fastener socket prior to attachment to a strap; and

Fig. 5 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but with the socket reversed as to its attachment to the strap.

Referring now to the particular embodiment of my invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 through 4, I have shown a slide fastener structure which includes a socket 1 attached to one end of a strap 2 and a stud 3 secured to the other end of the strap, or to any other suitable support according to the structure of the device with which the fastening means is to be used.

The particular socket 1 illustrated includes a casing member formed from a single piece of sheet metal (Fig. 4) and having a central cupshaped portion 4 and a slot 5 at each of opposed sides of the portion 4. The strap 2 passes through the slots 5 5 as best shown in Fig. 2, so that the socket may be slidably adjusted along the strap.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide a fastening means for straps which when engaged cannot be separated by a pull or stresses exerted at at least one predetermined side thereof adjacent to a strap receiving slot 5. Preferably the fastener is so constructed that it can be separated only by a pull on the free end of the strap adjacent to the socket 1. Therefore my fastening means is a decided improvement over the ordinary slide fastener because it locks against accidental separation and it is simple in construction.

The locking is effected by the use of a particuiar shaped spring 6 located in the cup-shaped portion 4, and held therein by ears "l, 'in combination with a lip 8. The spring 6 ts into the cup-shaped portion 4 and is held against rotation in the illustrated construction by its rectangular shape (Fig. 4) corresponding to the shape of the portion 4. The spring has two yieldable jaws 9 9 intersecting an aperture 10 in the bottom of the cup-shaped portion at three sides thereof (Fig. 4) and their free ends are brought together to provide the three side intersection. .These jaws can yield toward and away from each other for the passage of the head 11 of the stud member 3.

Any number of ears 7 may be used, but I have shown three cf them extending over the spring from three sides of the cup-shaped portion 4. One ear overlies the free ends of the jaws 9 9. This latter ear supports the jaws to hold them in the plane of the spring when a stud is being disengaged therefrom and when stresses are exerted axially of the aperture 10.

The lip 8 is formed from the material pressed out to form the aperture 10 and is located at that side of the aperture not intersected by the jaws 9 9. This lip Y8 extends between the jaws and has its free end bent over so that the lip provides a smooth surface against which the stud is pulled, when the stud and socket are under lateral stresses, to prevent wear on the stud and for engagement by the head of the stud for the purposes to be later described.

The stud 3 has a neck 12 (Figs. 2 and 3) beneath the head 11 for engagement by the jaws 9 9. A relatively abrupt shoulder 13 is formed between the neck and the head to prevent disengagement of the stud and socket by axial stresses. Furthermore, the cooperative engagement of this shoulder 13 with the jaws 9 9 is such that a separating pull exerted adjacent to that side where the free ends of the jaws are located merely locks the fastener members together because of the substantial bearing engagement of the jaws 9 9 with the shoulder 13.

In Fig. 5, I have shown the same socket 1, heretofore described, attached to its strap 2 with the bottom of the cup-shaped portion 4 spaced from the strap. This is a reversal of the attachment shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It merely shows that the socket can be attached to the strap either side up and operate effectively in the manner desired.

When the stud and socket are engaged either as shown in Fig. 2 or as shown in Fig. 5, they are locked against separation against any stresses and strains which they will normally receive in use. Separation cannot be effected by a pull of one relative to the other at the right hand side of Figs. 1, 2 and 5. The fastener members may be readily separated by an upward pull on the free end of the strap. During the separating action, the socket tips relative to the stud and the lip 8 engages the head of the stud and prevents the shoulder 13 from catching on the socket adjacent to the aperture 10. Thus the lip 8 guides the head out of engagement from the jaws 9 9 at that side where the jaws are spaced farthest from each other.

My improved socket is particularly desirable for strap attachment because it is simple in construction, positive in operation and has a minimum number of parts for a socket with a wire spring.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, I do not Wish to be limited thereto because the scope of my invention is best described by the following claims:

I claim:-

1. A slide fastener comprising, in combination, a stud member having a head and a neck, a cooperating socket having a plate portion and a stud-receiving aperture therethrough, said socket being provided with strap-receiving slots at opposite ends thereof through which a strap is slidably attached, a stud-engaging spring carried by said plate and intersecting three sides only of the stud-receiving aperture and shaped to interlock with said stud against separation by an out- Ward pull on the plate adjacent to one of said slots and a guide lip presented by the socket adjacent to the stud-receiving aperture for engagement by the stud and for positioning the studengaging spring.

2. A slide fastener comprising, in combination, a stud member having a head and a neck, a cooperating socket having a plate portion with a stud-receiving aperture therethrough and being provided with strap-receiving slots at opposite ends thereof through which a strap is slidably attached, a stud-engaging spring carried by said plate, a lip formed from the central portion of the said plate and adapted to position said spring, said lip being located at one side of said studreceiving aperture toward one of the strapreceiving slots and said spring being shaped and arranged to intersect said stud-receiving aperture directly opposite the lip and cooperating with said lip to lock the stud and slide fastener against separation by an outward pull on the plate adjacent to the slot nearest the spring intersected portion of the stud-receiving aperture.

3. A slide fastener comprising, in combination, a stud member having a head and a neck, a cooperating socket having a plate portion provided with strap-receiving slots at opposite ends thereof through which a strap is slidably attached, a depressed portion formed in said plate portion between said strap-receiving slots, a stud-engaging spring located in said depressed portion adjacent to a stud-receiving aperture in the bottom of said depressed portion, ears formed from said plate and folded over said spring tohold it Within the depressed portion and a lip formed from the central portion of said plate extending downwardly adjacent to the aperture to forma studengaging surface and positioning said spring relative to the intersection of the spring with the said aperture whereby locking portions provided by said spring are adapted to lock the socket in engagement with a cooperating stud to prevent separation by an outward pull adjacent to one of said slots.

GUSTAV JOHNSON; 

